Black and distressed metals are hot on this years interiors agenda, but the Luxe Metallic trend doesn’t have to be reserved for contemporary or industrial spaces. We’ve collected some of our favourite interiors and exteriors that bring both matt black and tarnished metal to the fore in a way that can be effortlessly translated into your modern country home.

These trends aren’t always built to last, but we think this year’s big look of using a sophisticated metallic colour palette within your home is a timeless classic. Our antiqued brass, forged iron lights and matching accessories help to add a luxurious metallic finish to any room. When looking to the exterior, there’s no need to forsake style for function. Create graphic silhouettes for elegance outside as well as in with a hand finished matt black. Combined, bold black and tarnished gold tones create a touch of luxury to both contemporary and traditional interiors.

It’s easy to understand the enduring appeal of Matt Black door furniture. This hard wearing, durable finish is the perfect choice for creating a timeless and sophisticated look – all you need to make a lasting impression. Your front door is the first thing yourself, your guests and potential buyers might notice. A well lit porch is a good start. Statement outdoor lanterns are an inviting addition and define the entry to your castle. We love the use of a single Boathouse light to brighten up this bold black doorway belonging to @thisoldcottage.

The kitchen is not just a space for food preparation. It’s a meeting place where you and your family cross paths at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes it is where you share coffee with friends, pour a glass of wine after a long day and where the kids sneak into for a midnight snack when they have sleepovers… It’s a room where memories are made. Without a thoughtful approach to the lights these rooms can end up feeling the opposite of how they should – which is inviting, relaxed and looking delicious. It’s a multifunctional space that needs multifunctional lighting.

We love a statement pendant over the island. The Butler Rise and Fall is our go-to show stopper, styled above by Humphrey Munson (photographed by Paul Craig) and matched with brass details. Seemingly small details like door pulls and knobs make a real impact when chosen carefully. Chalky ‘off-blacks’ and grey blue tones also encourages the brass to pop, making the whole room design feel considered and cohesive.

Susi Bellamy’s vibrantly abstract designs are marbled with clashing colours that are certain to liven up your home. Her cushion prints, shades and wallpapers are vivacious and arresting – much like her own interior decor. After noticing Susi had used one of our wall lights on an explosive stucco wallpaper in an Instagram post, we soon fell into the rabbit hole that is exploring her whimsical home.

The Old Piggery in Broom, grazing the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds, caught our eye on Instagram thanks to its cosy modern country vibe. We were thrilled to spot our cottage wall lights featured in this delightfully cosy barn conversion, and even more excited when host Vanessa Taylor agreed to feature on the blog. The open plan kitchen/dining/sitting room has a vaulted ceiling with original exposed beams, an oak floor and a log burner for those chillier days. A perfect country getaway.

Believed to date back to the 16th century, this period space with its carefully curated décor is available to enjoy on Airbnb. We spoke to Vanessa to find out where her love for interiors originates from, why she started up the project and what it takes to be a great host in your own home.

‘Restoring Lansdowne’ is a stunning, dramatic Instagram account documenting the renovation and styling of Kristine Hall’s London home. The Victorian townhouse, first built in 1901, exudes contemporary scandi glamour thanks to Kristine’s stylish touch. After spotting our favourite Holborn lights in her grey and antiqued brass tinged bathroom, we simply had to get in touch to further explore this unique home.

We spoke to Kristine about her beautiful restoration and what it takes to find your own individual style.

At first sight we loved your bathroom, then fell head over heels after viewing the rest of the house. How would you describe your interior style?

Thank you! Our home is a mashup of lots of different styles that I love – midcentury modern, a slight industrial edge, scandi monochrome minimalism, maybe a little 70’s glam thrown in for good measure. My style probably leans towards a more masculine look in general…well, apart from the pink dressing room. I suppose that one’s pretty girly.

I enjoy trying out different looks from one room to the next, but I hope that by carrying certain elements through the house I’ve kept it all feeling cohesive – velvet upholstery, rich wood tones, dark greys, black and brass accents. It was also important to me that the design was sympathetic to the age of the property, so we restored or reinstated original features wherever we could, from the wide pine floorboards, plaster coving and cast iron fireplaces to restoring the original panelled doors and skirting boards.

I’d like to think that when someone walks in they find it calming, sophisticated and comfortable, with lots of interesting things to look at.

What encouraged you to document the restoration progress online?

Well everyone loves a good before and after, don’t they? I was initially encouraged by a good friend to set up an Instagram account to document the project and I’m so glad I did. When your ‘kitchen’ has consisted of a microwave and kettle in the corner of your lounge for two months and you’re washing dishes in the bath, or there’s rainwater gushing into your freshly decorated bedrooms during a loft extension …being able to look back at how far you’ve come at those moments helps to keep you sane.

There’s also an amazing community of renovators and interior design lovers on Instagram, and it’s been a great source of inspiration and DIY know-how. When the going gets tough, it’s amazing having access to so many ultra-talented people with beautifully renovated homes who know exactly what you’re going through.

We like to think an interior design project is always evolving, because personal tastes and needs also ebb and flow, but how long has it taken you from starting the restoration to where you are now?

Although my husband always looks slightly panicked when I say this, our home definitely will continue to evolve and that’s the joy of it really. But the hard graft is definitely over for us on this property. It’s taken over 5 years to get to this stage because we did as much of the work ourselves as possible, and renovated in stages as time and budget allowed. We first renovated the bedrooms one at a time at evenings and weekends, and then brought in some professional muscle to overhaul the kitchen. Some of the most time-consuming tasks were the stripping the original staircase and woodwork, and doing the painting/decorating – at this point I’d be quite happy not to see another paint brush for a very long time.

Where do you source most of your inspiration?

My starting point is always the space itself – how we want to use it, how we want to feel when we’re in it, the architectural features and natural light. I find inspiration in the usual places like Instagram, Pinterest and magazines, but also tend to find unique pieces that I love – lighting, furniture, art – and then design a room around them. It’s really important to me that our home is practical for our lifestyle. So the challenge is always to make it fit for purpose and beautiful, within budget.

With interior trends expanding and changing with a turnover as fast as fashion, how do you tap into adding your own personality into a home?

I think some of it comes down to patience and waiting until you can find (or afford) really special pieces that you absolutely love, whether it’s furniture, lighting or accessories. We had empty corners and battered old flat-pack furniture for years because I wanted everything we bought for the house to really add something, to earn its floor space. I found a tiny 1940’s wardrobe online that’s a perfect fit for our master bedroom alcove. It’s really simple but has great lines and a lovely patina. It wasn’t expensive but everyone comments on it and it really completes the room. And I try not to impulse buy – if I still love it in a month or two there’s hope I’ll love it in 5 or 10 years too.

Your hashtag #sassyhomestyle occupies many a style bloggers’ caption. In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a ‘sassy home’?

Yes, it’s great fun co-hosting the #sassyhomestyle hashtag alongside three super talented fellow interior design lovers. For me it’s about creating really unique spaces and being totally unapologetic about it. It’s brilliant seeing the creative solutions that people come up with, whether it’s tiny spaces, tight budgets or rented properties that can’t be permanently altered.

Greys and petrol blues aren’t for the faint of heart! You haven’t held back when decorating the rooms in dark colours. What tips can you give to our readers thinking about making the leap to the dark side?

There’s no easier way of adding drama than with some dark paint. We are fortunate to have lovely large windows and a good amount of natural light – sunshine on a dark wall can be so beautiful. But equally if you have a room that doesn’t get much light, sometimes going with it and choosing a dark colour can work better than trying to fight it. I find muted, dark colours really soothing and it’s also a great way to add instant character to a room that doesn’t have many features.

In most of our rooms I’ve paired dark walls with lighter (or white) ones as I like the contrast. For example, at the end of our kitchen I used some leftover dark grey paint in the alcoves – it adds another dimension and emphasises the interesting shapes and roof line, without making the room feel any darker.

Renovating a house is a tall order! What drew you to this house in particular?

My husband already owned the house when we met, but I loved it as soon as I saw it. It wasn’t appealing on the surface…at all! But I could see the potential under the swirly 70’s shag carpet and the opportunity to essentially start from scratch and really make the place our own was the dream. It had some beautiful original features like sash windows, cast iron fireplaces and lovely proportions, and the option of building up into the loft spaces was a draw too. And I had been living in a flat in the City so the idea of having a garden was exciting.

If you could go back and give advice to yourself before starting up the project, what would it be?

I’d give myself a better idea of what to expect of a long-term renovation and recommend having a plan for managing the stress of it all. Sleepless nights, diet and exercise routines out the window, financial pressures, minor building disasters, dust and noise, thousands of decisions – it’s a lot to take on and it can really put strain on relationships too. It was 100% worth it, but if I had more realistic expectations of the day-to-day realities from the start, maybe it would have been a little less overwhelming.

Last but not least, what is next for you and Lansdowne in 2018?

I’m in the process of setting up my own interior styling business, so that’s pretty exciting. We have a few small things yet to do on the house, like alcove shelves, and I’m looking forward to spending some time on the garden in spring. We’re also going to build a bin shed. Glamorous, I know. But otherwise 2018 is all about enjoying the home we’ve created, now that it’s finally finished. I’m sure we used to have some hobbies so I’ll probably try to remember what those were!

Follow Kristine’s interior transformation on Instagram at @restoringlansdowne. To see more of our unique bathroom lighting, browse here.

Flicking through February’s Country Homes & Interiors magazine we spotted a glowing recommendation for ‘Tudor Farmhouse‘, a chic country hotel nestled in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. On closer inspection of their beautifully styled rooms (and an eagle eye!) we couldn’t help but notice quite a few Jim Lawrence lights in their midst. Rich wooden panelling, restored beams, impeccable modern country furnishing and the idyllic green landscape is the perfect backdrop for our lighting.

Love locally sourced grub, outdoor adventures and a beautiful room to relax in? Look no further for your next family holiday.

You can never have enough bedroom inspiration, so here’s a closer look at our Weston pendants bringing a soft lighting to one of the suites within the renovated Cider House. The Weston is a small light that makes a big impact thanks to the solid metal shade. The mahogany sheen of the four-poster and golden colour in the armchairs are mirrored in the brass tones, bringing an inviting warmth to the room.

Accent lighting is what we use to accentuate certain features within the room. Usually this would be to illuminate a piece of art (eg with a picture light) or creating a soft glow above or below cupboards for a softer halo of light than a task light. Using the Weston’s in this way by the bedside avoids using just a harsh angled spotlight and allows the low light to gently pool in areas you need to see. In country homes ceilings are often lower than new builds, so a shorter cable with a smaller shade creates a feature without a reduced chance of banging your head!

In the suite below they have included a Butler pendant which brightens up the room with it’s beautiful golden glow – even by daylight! Again, a pendant with a shorter cable creates the statement you need whilst complimenting the space instead of intruding on it.

Using pendants frees up the bedside tables, creating a clean, clutter-free space for the guests – more space for breakfast in bed!

Pick up Country Home & Interiors latest issue to read the lovely words about what to eat, do and see in this gorgeous location. We’d like to say a huge thank you to owners Colin and Hari for letting us share these interior images. Find out more on their website and succumb to inevitable food envy on their Instagram. Want to find out more about the designers behind the hotel? Influential designers Fawn Interiors have collaborated on a post with us about romantic décor, and you can follow them on Instagram @fawninteriorsstudio for even more inspiring interiors.

GET THE TUDOR FARMHOUSE LOOK:

THE BLETCHLEY BATHROOM COLLECTION

After the launch of our deluxe Bletchley bathroom range, we simply had to create a post about our inspiration behind the collection. At Jim Lawrence we thrive on recreating classic designs and giving them a new lease of life with modern twists.

The warm brass detailing of our new Bletchley range is the perfect choice for an effortless and stylish bathroom update. The vintage appeal and ongoing trend is not lost on us, so we’ve treated the range with lacquered antiqued brass to make sure they stand the test of time physically as much as they do aesthetically.

Bathroom décor can sometimes be a place of untapped beauty. We believe they should exude as much comfort and style as your bedroom so that your bath soaks are spa-like and your morning routines calm and invigorating. Why shouldn’t you feel as pampered in your own home as you can in a swanky hotel? The Bletchley collection is a good place to start.

 THE FINER DETAILS: SOCKETS AND SWITCHES

Start small. You don’t want to spend time revamping your room only to be left with some unsightly sockets and light switches. Our Antiqued Brass Shaving Sockets are a practical but pretty solution to make sure every element of your bathroom is up to scratch!

ATMOSPHERE: SOFT LIGHTING

No one wants to be blinded by spotlights first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night. Soft wall lighting is essential for that lovely hotel feel. We recommend the Cheltenham Wall Light to line your mirror for a warm glow.

Alternatively, as used in Melford House with the Hinton, try placing the light lengthways above for a unique old-timely look.

We love the luxury that pendant lights naturally bring into a space. Thanks to Pinterest there are thousands of gorgeous images of free standing tubs and chandeliers to take our fancy. For a more minimal but nonetheless graceful addition to your bathroom, why not include our Holborn Pendant Light? Suspend above the bath for truly sophisticated styling.

ADDING ACESSORIES: HOLDERS AND HANDLES

Though an eclectic or maximalist feel can work with soft furnishings – we suggest matching accessories in a bathroom setting. Everyone is different, but a consistent style makes us feel a little more relaxed.

The Bletchley Towel Ring, Soap Basket and Loo Roll Holder all have one thing in common: elegance! The period styles are curved and traditional, together creating the vintage look you are after but without any rust staining on your towels and tubs.

COLOUR SCHEME: LIGHT AND DARK

You shouldn’t have to totally redecorate to update a room. With the rise in dark interiors continuing to spike, but traditional white still a popular go-to, we wanted to make sure the Bletchley range would suit any lick of paint. As you can see, it does!

Now all you need to do is light some candles and pop open the bubble bath… See more of our bathroom collections here.

Have you added some of the Bletchley collection into your home? Tag your images on Instagram or Twitter with #JimLawrenceMade or email to press@jim-lawrence.co.uk.so we won’t miss out.

If you want to learn more about the Antiqued Brass finish and how to care for it you can find out more here.

What about adding the other elements of a vintage-style bathroom? We think metro tiles in the shower, reclaimed glass bottles for display and decoration, plus some carefully selected artwork will really inject your own personality into the room. Don’t forget to take a look at our Vintage Bathroom Inspiration Pinterest board where we’ve added in some more interior ideas that we love!

A lot of brands (ourselves included) tend to put a lot of focus on the interior of a home. This is because it’s where we spend most of our time (inside, looking out) but what about when we’re on the outside looking in, realising the exterior is looking a little tired…? This is where a conduit comes in.

We have the perfect solution for transforming those drooping external wires from a nuisance into a stunning external feature. Our favourite way to light up the night is to group lights and create a glowing feature that wouldn’t look out of place indoors. There’s no reason to forsake style for function. Our Antiqued Brass Conduit is a smart way to hide ugly exterior wiring, particularly when combined with our slim Doncaster Wall Light or Bulkhead Light.

We want to make sure our conduit kits are a breeze to install, so here’s an easy “how-to” guide to assembling your own.

Firstly, decide on the style of light you want to connect the conduit to. We have two robust outdoor lighting designs that perfectly match the lightly antiqued brass of the conduit to bring an aged vintage elegance to your home:

• An RHS Garden Product of the Year finalist, the Bulkhead Light is a respectful nod to old ships lighting with a caged, modern twist. Made in solid brass and fully non corrosive, this handsome light will shine no matter what the lovely British weather throws at it!
• The Doncaster LED Light is suited to the smallest of outdoor spaces, but with no shortage of design detail. With an overall depth of just 5.4cm it would sit neatly in even the narrowest of spaces.

(View the entire outdoor lighting collection here)

A solution for even the most challenging space… simply add any of the following items to create the perfect industrial conduit solution. Our conduit kits give you the chance to be creative with your outdoor lighting.

The antiqued brass poles can be shortened on installation if necessary, but we offer a 1m or 2m kit to purchase. An IP44 rating can be achieved when fitted as a complete system with the recommended outdoor lights.If you are looking to group your lights as above, the Junction Box is a neat solution for containing even more wiring and made in our beautiful antiqued brass finish to match your kit.

Please note that we always recommend you use a qualified electrician to help you install your lighting and accessories. However, there is no harm in getting to know the tips and tricks behind the conduit so you understand exactly how wonderful this kit really is! If you want to install your new lighting in a problematic area – do not fear – this is all made possible by the conduit elbow. These joints allow your electrician to fix the poles up, down, across and around corners. This means your can achieve whichever look you are after with ease.

We all know the British weather can be temperamental, so we have ensured the conduits are completely safe. This all comes down to the olive. No, not the pitted kind, but a small ring inside the joiners which is crushed on fixture to ensure a watertight seal to protect the precious wiring.

 If you require additional couples and joiners our helpful sales team are happy to advise.

Once you and your electrician have followed the above steps, you are ready to illuminate your home: Jim Lawrence style. If you still have any questions don’t hesitate to call up our knowledgeable customer service team on 01473 826685 and they will happily walk you through the process.

We would love to see any pictures of your completed conduits! Tag your images on Instagram with #JimLawrenceMade or email to press@jim-lawrence.co.uk so we won’t miss out on seeing how you style your Jim Lawrence products. We love seeing our lights and accessories in their new homes.

Why not take a look at our full range of outdoor lighting and door furniture to add the finishing touches to your outdoor design?

“The front door is the touch point between your interior and the rest of the world.”

‘Interior design’ has become an iconic phrase and thanks to social media platforms such as Pinterest we now have access to beautiful inspiration and imagery at our fingertips. The idea of interior design itself has become so iconic that you can now even go to university to study in the field. Lately it has got everyone in the Jim Lawrence office thinking… what about exterior design? This is not a phrase that we hear so often but isn’t it just as important? We feel that the exterior of your home should be a teasing taster of the beauty that is within. So, we have handpicked some of our classic and period exterior product range  to help you create a lasting first impression…

Our Heart Door Knocker has become one of our most popular products and we are thrilled that our customers love it as much as we do. It is hand cast in solid brass and then treated in antiquing solution to give it our signature Antiqued Brass finish. It can tackle anything our unpredictable British weather throws at it and will provide a unique look to your front door for many years.

We listen to our customer’s feedback over the years and this is one of the amazing products to come out of that. The fabulous Yale Lock Surround. This adds a touch of class to that run of the mill Yale Lock and allows for combing a modern locking system with a traditional finish.

This rather clever little cover sits on top of your existing doorbell allowing for an easy changeover. It sits neatly against the wall is available in a range of finishes to match the rest of your exterior. We just love the simplicity yet beauty of this product.

We love seeing how effortlessly these little touches create a big difference. Why not take a look at our full range of exterior lighting and door furniture to complete your exterior design.

When many of us think about coloured glass, our minds are taken back to the setting where we were first introduced to the idea; beautiful stained glass in churches. In the 50’s and 60’s the idea of using this coloured glass in the home for decorative items became a huge hit – well it seems that it is back again and not just with decorative items!

This versatile and beautiful trend is all about showcasing your personality and having fun within your home.

So, our design team sat down and had a brainstorm on how we could take this amazing trend and put our signature Jim Lawrence style stamp on it. Well, what better way to showcase the potential beauty of coloured glass than combining it with two of our popular pendants; the Fulbourn and Holborn Glass Pendant.

We decided to go for soft and subtle colours to stay in keeping with the natural feel and look of our lights. We now offer 3 coloured glass shades with our Fulbourn Pendants; Smoky Blue, Charcoal and Dusky Pink.

The fantastic thing about using coloured glass is the ability to achieve various looks without having to change your whole decor.

Each of the 3 colours we offer could be seen in a variety of settings.

Team any of these lights with our amazing LED bulb range to see it in its true colours!

Have you purchased any of our coloured glass pendants? If so then we would love to see them in their new home. Please send us a picture to press@jim-lawrence.co.uk.

When it comes to choosing the perfect lighting for our homes, many people have previously put practicality as the number one priority and the look and beauty would more often than not fall to second place.

We have seen the trends change dramatically over the years and it seems that many of us are now searching for something both equally beautiful and practical and we do not seem to be stopping at just the one essential light – hence the birth of our beautiful multi pendant lighting.

So many of our customers would love our products in a row of two or three above their kitchen islands however it would be a little tricky with all that extra wiring! So we have made life much simpler with our Track Multi Pendants.

Holborn Triple Track

These provide a fantastic option for extra lighting whilst discretley using just one electrical ceiling entry point. This not only looks fantastic but you may have a much happier electrician!

We heard such great feedback on these pendants that it led us to start thinking where we could take the multi pendant light next? We thought about those large stairwells, hallways and landings that were crying out for some beautiful lighting and it was then that we decided to launch the Ceiling Pendant Rose.

Holborn Multi Pendant Ceiling Rose

These are an elegant alternative to the straight track and they provide the option to adjust the heights of all three pendants. They are perfect for flooding those large spaces with light whilst making a bold statement.

After popular demand, our most recent launch is the Ava Ceiling Rose Pendant. The Ava Pendant (who has two sisters; Orla & Mia) has been our most loved pendant to date and we just could not resist turning it into a multi pendant – what do you think?

Ava Ceiling Multi Pendant Rose

Do you have any of our multi pendants in your home? We really would love to see them! Feel free to send any images to press@jim-lawrence.co.uk